Quakers' struggles are old hat

It was March 1939: the Quakers were once again on their uppers.

The board sent out a "final" begging letter, the vicar was on his knees, the mayor sent a chain letter, too. There was no mention of TASK forces or buckets rattling outside the ground; they were to come later.

The directors wrote first to The Northern Echo. The letter, they said, was a serious warning "of the utter impossibility of carrying on the club on the totally inadequate support which has been given to it this season."

Gate receipts were £1,400 down, the overdraft was £2,050.

A few days later the board wrote to townspeople stressing that they could no longer afford to subsidise the club from their own pockets.

Closure seemed unavoidable unless supporters bought a vice-presidency for three guineas, or even a couple of shilling shares.

"The need for action is definitely urgent," the second letter added. "If football under Football League auspices is to continue to be played in Darlington, the directors of the club must receive generous support from those who have the town's interests at heart.

"We sincerely hope you will respond to this appeal - our final effort."

The mayor, Coun John Dougill, agreed. "It would be a definite disaster if we were to lose our senior football club. We must spare no effort to retain it," he wrote to 1,000 chosen citizens in an attempt to raise £600.

Perhaps forgetting that the earlier appeal had been the final one, club chairman Coun J B Smith, organiser of the Cockerton old folks' Christmas treat, wrote again to The Echo seven weeks later.

Gates still weren't what they'd hoped, the mayor's appeal had only raised £200, because of the financial situation only five players had been retained.

The appeal was still open, he said; the shillings would still be welcome.

Before much else could happen, of course, the second world war intervened. The Quakers, then as always, lived to fight again.

The Darlington FC scrapbook, covering 1936-39, was spotted by our old friend Tom Peacock, who's enjoyed life with the Lions' Club for almost 35 years.

A former Wensleydale League man himself, Tom was particularly interested to learn more of George Henry Walker - Harry to his friends - who kept goal for Leyburn at 14 and for Nottingham Forest when nearly 40 and wore a cap like one of Grandma Batty's Yorkshire puddings.

Signed by the Quakers in 1935, he remained a part-time professional until completing his motor mechanic's apprenticeship at a Leyburn garage and saved two penalties in a match at Oldham.

Signed subsequently for "less than £1,000" by Portsmouth, he starred in Pompey's 4-1 FA Cup final win over Wolves in 1939, playing briefly for them after the war before 293 Football League appearances for Forest between 1946-54.

"A truly great goalkeeper, people in the dale still talk affectionately about him," says Tom.

Darlington had finished bottom of the Third Division North in 1936-37, despite playing at West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup fourth round - a fixture of particular interest to vicar and club director Bill Jordan, who'd played for West Brom as an amateur.

After spending the following season fighting against re-election, the club was cheered by the arrival of a black and white lamb, born to one of the sheep which grazed safely on Feethams during the summer and christened Welcome Visitor.

Another lamb had been born on the ground in the summer of 1925, diehards fancifully recalled, and in that season Quakers won promotion. Proof of all that they say about following sheep, it was ridiculously optimistic. The pre-war season brought another bitter struggle, though the club narrowly avoided applying for re-election.

When the new season briefly began, only one first team regular remained. Truly, it is amazing what you find in second hand book shops.

When rowing crowds overshadowed Toon Army

Books on rowing and rowers should, of course, be launched. One was last week, on the banks of the Tyne in Gateshead. We ducked out.

Harry Clasper and his lads were world champions, and though the rowing world was a bit like the quoits world - not what you might call universal - they could near enough walk on water.

So many watched their races that it was feared the Tyne Bridge would collapse beneath the assembled weight; opponents tried vainly to nobble them - scullduggery, as it were - guns fired and bells pealed to welcome their homecomings; 130,000 crowded the streets for Harry's funeral.

He was one of a family of 14, all six brothers oarsmen. A play was written ten years ago; now David Clasper, Harry's great great nephew, has written an account of the family's amazing boat race exploits.

Somewhat prosaically called Rowing: A Way of Life - Skiff Upper Lip might have been better - it's compelling, and vividly illustrated, nonetheless.

David was brought up on the stories. "Rowing was the most popular sport in the nineteenth century. The crowds put the Toon Army to shame," he says.

"I wrote the book because now they don't get the recognition they deserve."

Harry also revolutionised rowing boat design, not least by inventing the sliding seat - thus avoiding boils on the backside, the rowers' unseen curse.

"It seemed that every boat he built surpassed the last, both in beauty and structure," writes David.

Races, often between Tyne and Thames, could be held for sidestakes of up to £500 - a huge amount at the time - though Harry Clasper was well rewarded in other ways, too.

Admirers bought him a ten room hotel in Scotswood by way of testimonial. At a tribute supper in Balmbra's music hall in Newcastle - the first time that Geordie Ridley had sung Blaydon Races in public - another song was composed in his honour:

Faithful awd Harry, plucky as ivver

The still bloomin' posey iv wor coaly river.

He died, aged 58, in 1870 and is buried beneath a splendid monument in Whickham cemetery.

David Clasper, though still on the committee of Durham regatta, only went rowing once. It was, he observed, very much harder than it looked.

Rowing: A Way of Life is published by Portcullis Press, an imprint of Gateshead Council, and is available for £7 from Gateshead libraries.

From darkest Orkney - "if you blink, you miss the daylight" - Stuart Laundy sends details of Stromness Cricket Club's presentation night last weekend.

Batsman of the Year, Stuart Laundy: average 72; bowler of the year, Stuart Laundy, average 9.9. "The words 'fish' and ' pond' come to mind," he says.

Stuart, it may be recalled, is the former Darlington and District League all rounder - Haughton and Ingleton - who now finds himself a gaffer on the Orcadian, the islands' newspaper approaching its 150th anniversary.

He has had more limited success, however, in the winter league, where he plays for the Hudson Bay Company.

Firstly, says Stuart, it's because he can't get anyone out and secondly because he keeps getting out himself.

The third reason may be the most pertinent, however. "Unless I keep wicket, I can' t see the ball."

Two weeks after the publication of the book on Crook Town' s unique tour of India in 1976, one of the men who made the adventure possible has died.

Haradahan Banerjee, 94, was among Calcutta' s most successful and respected businessmen, played football for Mohun Bagan - India' s Manchester United - and was chosen for his country.

His son, Dr Arun Banerjee, was a GP in Crook - and the club doctor - when the tour idea was mooted. Together, they arranged it.

Dr Banerjee still called from Crook to Calcutta every day, knocking up a telephone bill estimated at £2,000 a quarter.

Though his father's funeral service has already taken place according to Hindu custom, he flies out today for the period of mourning. "The procession went right around the Mohun ground," says Dr Banerjee. "Indian television and newspapers have been full of it. He was a most remarkable man".

Can You Get Bobby Charlton?, Steven Chaytor' s vivid and richly anecdotal account of the tour, is available at £9.99 from book shops or from kipperpublish@aol.com

Tony Barratt, 350 Football league games with Hartlepool, York City and one or two others, has signed for Thirsk based pub team The Vale of York in the Hambleton Ales Combination third division.

Tony' s 38, still a bit bairn compared to 49-year-old player/manager Martin Howey, a former Northern Echo sports editor who recalls giving his new man a fistful of fives in the merit markings.

"I've told him I'm expecting eights and nines now," says Martin.

Tony, meanwhile, has yet to see his critic in action. "I suspect," says the old pro, "that he'll be getting quite a bunch of fives as well."

The Magpie Cafe in Whitby, queues usually half way to Sandsend, was stowed out again the other night for a fund raising fish and chip supper in aid of our friends at Whitby Town.

Diners wore football shirts, the Magpie sponsored the job and £698 was raised towards the new stand appeal - now at a little over £41,000.

Tonight, same good cause, all 392 tickets have been sold for a formal Christmas banquet and ball at the Spa - where auction items included a Newcastle United shirt signed by Sir Bobby and two full corporate hospitality packages for Man United v Southampton. Telephone bids to Martin Hart, 01947 601599.

Tommy Stephenson from West Auckland, who auctioned a limited edition signed photograph of St James' Park to support those who helped his fight against serious illness, reports that with Keith Lithgo's help they've raised £440 for the Ward 3 trust fund at Bishop General. "Everyone' s been brilliant," says Tom.

And finally...

The English international who managed Manchester City for just 33 days in 1994 (Backtrack, December 9) was Steve Coppell.

Since the Sports Personality awards are upon us, Alf Hutchinson in Darlington invites readers to name the only three cricketers ever to have won it.

Personalities, plus, on Tuesday.

Published: 12/12/2003